ACLU of Hawai‘i calls on Governor Ige to withhold National Guard troops from border duty as long as children are being separated from their parents

Honolulu – Today the ACLU of Hawai’i called on Governor David Ige to refuse to send Hawai’i National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border so long as the Trump Administration continues its unconscionable policy of separating children from their parents.

According to reporting today by the New York Times, so far, governors from at least eight states have announced they would withhold or recall National Guard troops while this child separation policy is in place. Both Republican and Democratic governors have made this pledge.

ACLU of Hawai’i Executive Director Joshua Wisch said, “The Trump Administration is stealing children from their parents and holding them hostage as a political bargaining chip. As long as the federal government continues this reprehensible conduct, we ask Governor Ige to publicly announce that he will refuse to deploy any Hawai’i National Guard troops to the Mexican border.”

On April 12th of this year, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that Governor Ige said he was taking a “wait-and-see” approach to sending troops to the border with Mexico. At that time, Governor Ige was quoted as saying the “Hawaii National Guard has supported border security missions in the past under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The Guard is currently committed to other deployments. Any additional requests would have to be considered in this context.”

Executive Director Wisch added, “The State of Hawai’i has previously stood up to this Administration’s objectionable policies. It is time to do so again. Hawai’i – and its National Guard troops – must not participate in separating children from their families.”